Indian Classical Music: Ragas, Instruments, and Devotional Forms
Hindustani music places more emphasis on improvisation and *exploring* all aspects of a raga, while Carnatic music is primarily composition-based. The central notion in both of these systems is that of a melodic musical mode, or raga, sung to a rhythmic cycle, or tala. It is melodic music, with no concept of harmony. A raga (or raag) is a melodic framework for improvisation akin to a melodic mode in Indian classical music. While the rāga is a remarkable and central feature of the classical music tradition, it has no direct translation to concepts in the classical European music tradition.
Key Instruments in Indian Classical Music
- Tanpura: A long-necked, plucked string instrument originating from India, found in various forms in Indian music. It does not play melody but rather supports and sustains the melody of another instrument or singer by providing a continuous harmonic bourdon or drone.
- Sarod: A stringed instrument used mainly in Hindustani music on the Indian subcontinent. Along with the sitar, it is among the most popular and prominent instruments.
- Tabla: A pair of small hand drums attached together, used in Indian music; one is slightly larger than the other and is played using pressure from the heel of the hand to vary the pitch.
Devotional Music Forms
Bhajan
Bhajan refers to any devotional song with religious themes or spiritual ideas, in any of the languages from the Indian subcontinent. The term “bhajana” also means ‘sharing’.
The term ‘bhajan‘ is also commonly used to refer to a group event, with one or more lead singers, accompanied by music, and sometimes dancing. Minimally, there is a percussion accompaniment such as tabla, a dholak, or tambourine. Handheld small cymbals (kartals) are commonly used to maintain the beat and rhythm. A bhajan may be sung in a temple, in a home, under a tree in the open, near a river bank, or at a place of historic significance.
As a bhajan has no prescribed form or set rules, it is in free form, normally lyrical, and based on melodic ragas. It belongs to a genre of music and arts that developed with the Bhakti movement. It is found in the various traditions of Hinduism, but particularly in Vaishnavism. It is also found in Jainism (a different religion from Hinduism).
Ganesha
Ganesha (or Ganesh) is the elephant-headed god in Hinduism. He is the son of Shiva and Parvati. Ganesha is a very popular god in Hinduism and was one of the most worshipped. Hindu tradition states that Ganesha is a god of wisdom, success, and good luck.
Qawwali
A qawwali is a style of Muslim devotional music now associated particularly with Sufis in Pakistan. Qawwali, also spelled qavvali, in India and Pakistan, is an energetic musical performance of Sufi Muslim poetry that aims to lead listeners to a state of religious ecstasy—to a spiritual union with Allah (God). Qawwali is a form of Sufi Islamic devotional music originating from the Indian subcontinent, and notably popular in the Punjab and Sindh regions of Pakistan; in Hyderabad, Delhi, and other parts of India, especially North India; as well as the Dhaka and Chittagong Divisions of Bangladesh.
Gamelan Gong Kebyar
Gamelan gong kebyar is a style or genre of Balinese gamelan music. Kebyar means “to flare up or burst open”, and refers to the explosive changes in tempo and dynamics characteristic of the style. It is the most popular form of gamelan in Bali, and its best-known musical export.